Alternativas quirúrgicas en el tratamiento de descematocele

Abstract

The cornea is formed of 4 layers; epithelium, estroma, Descemet membrane and endothelium. When the epithelium and a variable amount of estroma is lost, we are in the presence of a corneal ulcer. Ulcers usually respond well to medical treatment and tend to heal. When they are rapid progress ulcers and do not respond to this kind of treatment they requise surgery. Some ulcers become deep and reach the Descemet membrane. The descemetocele is the prolapse of that membrane through the ulcer. Its character is critical and it is difficult to heal. It presents the risk of perforation because the only barrier to the acqueous humour is the Descemet membrane and the corneal endothelium. It requires urgent surgical treatment. We work with 16 canines nd 2 felines presenting profound corneal ulcers and descemetocele. They are divided into 4 groups and treated with a different surgical technique in order to evaluate the most appropriate one for their treatment. The four techniques are compared, measuring the anesthesial times, the kind of surgery and the postoperatory evolution. The aim of this work is to identify which of these techniques was the most appropriate one for this kind of ulcer and able to be performed in a simple and quickly way.